Is thruhiking worth it?
Thruhiking requires mental endurance, pushing your body to the extremes, crossing difficult terrain, persevering through undesirable weather conditions, and spending large sums of money in order to do so. You may wonder why thruhikers enjoy their time on trail so much that they actually experience post-trail depression. Taking into consideration all of the hardships and with alternative outdoor endurance sports available, is thruhiking worth it? To answer this question, let’s explore some of the pros and cons of thruhiking.
Cons
Physically Challenging
There are obvious physical challenges that come to mind. Immediately people consider fitness as a key point of the trail – and it is – but it can be developed throughout your time on trail and doesn’t have to be a determining factor (at least at first).
Hard to Eat Healthy
A healthy diet is hard to maintain, and when your body is working overtime, diet becomes very important.
Environmental Influences
The environment poses all sorts of obstacles, as well! From the varied terrain, weather, and wild animals – there is a lot of unpredictability. However, that unpredictability occurs on a short-term basis. You can look at long-term patterns and plan accordingly for these conditions.
Cost
Money is a huge component of thru-hiking… unfortunately it can be quite pricy between the gear, travel expenses, food, accommodations, and more! It can take quite a while to save up enough money to complete the trail, and depending on your spending habits and preferences, it may still not be enough. Debt is never desired, but it is a real possibility for some.
Time Alone With Your Thoughts
The mental challenges of the trail are very real. Enduring all of the challenges mentioned above (physical, environmental, financial, etc.) can get to people. In addition, planning ahead, testing your creativity and problem-solving skills, and navigating through new situations can be mentally exhausting. Resilience is definitely key. A deep desire to continue, determination/stubbornness, and love of the trail all help to persevere through it all. Having a strong mental game is important.
Post-Trail Depression
Post-trail depression is definitely a con, but why does it happen? There must be something positive about thruhiking, right?
Pros
Time in Nature
You are immersed is the beauty of nature! It has been demonstrated by several research studies that the act of being outdoors can improve your mood (find and link to resources here).
There is nothing like a gorgeous view from the mountaintop you’ve just climbed. Not only do you get to enjoy the view, but you also challenge yourself! Pushing your limits is healthy, so long as you aren’t pushing too far past. In challenging your abilities, you allow yourself to grow and to push those limits just a little further away. It’s incredibly fulfilling as you see the changes in yourself – both physically and mentally – as you acknowledge wha you are capable of.
The Bonds You Make
Thruhiking has an incredible community that cannot be explained, only experienced. You immediately have a connection with others on the trail because you are living a shared experience that no one else truly understands, it allows you to open up and bond more easily. It’s not unheard of in other areas of life, but it does feel truly unique if you’ve never experienced something like it before.
Freedom to Choose – Hike Your Own Hike
While having company on the trail is amazing, you can always find time for yourself (and I recommend it!). The trail allows you to have community and independence all at once. You plan your own meals, prepare to keep yourself safe, learn to work as a team, and so much more! You are both empowered and become self-sufficient, while also learning to be gracious and how to be a part of the community.
Time Alone With Your Thoughts (A Pro and A Con)
Getting true time alone can be a benefit. The peace and quiet is unlike anything else. Not only can you allow yourself to just be in the moment, you also get time with yourself and your thoughts. How often in daily life do you truly have time to yourself to think? To be alone and reflect on your life? It’s refreshing, good for the mind, allows you to work through problems you may have tucked away, and to gain a new perspective. There are so many mental benefits to being out in nature!
Pushing Your Body & Getting Some Exercise
While thruhiking can be incredibly hard on your body, fresh air and physical exercise are still benefits! So long as you are taking good care of yourself, there may be a positive impact on your body. With that said, without proper care, studies have shown a net negative on health (insert study link here).
Conclusion
That brings us back to our initial question: Is thruhiking worth it? That’s up to you. Did you feel exhilarated or intimidated by the challenges? Do you feel the pros outweigh (or at least balance out) the cons?
My personal take is that thruhiking is absolutely worth it, and if I could spend more time doing it – I wouldn’t blink. Everyone has a different version of adventure, but if you enjoy seeing what you can do, spending time outdoors, and living life in the moment – thruhiking might just be worth it for you.
